Lady
Pirates drop two games at StateThe Prairie Lady Pirates softball team ran up against tough pitching
as they were shut out twice and eliminated in 2 games from the State 2-A
Softball Tournament held May 20-22 at Orofino.
In their opening game they faced defending state champion Parma, who
wound up second this year, and lost 0-7. They were eliminated Friday by
New Plymouth 0-3. New Plymouth went on to take third.In the opening game against Parma a nervous Prairie team committed
3 errors in the first inning. They got out of the inning allowing just
1 run thanks in large part to a great defensive play. With runners on second
and third and nobody out, Parma’s Kelsea Loosli hit a fly ball to right
field. Natalie Arnzen caught the ball and threw home where Maureen Tacke
caught the ball and tagged out Katie Hartley for a double play. Tacke did
a great job of blocking the plate as Hartley never did touch the plate
on the play.
Prairie had a chance to score in the second when Tacke was hit by a
pitch and Meghan VanderPas followed with a single to left. Arnzen followed
with a ground ball to second that advanced the runners but a strikeout
ended the inning.
Lindsey Crea led off the third inning with a double to right field
but never advanced any farther.
In the third VanderPas was hit by a pitch on her hip and had to leave
the game. Sarah Forsmann went in to pinchrun and went to second on a passed
ball. Arnzen beat out an infield single but another strikeout ended the
threat.
Karel Wassmuth picked up Prairie’s only other hit on a line drive between
first and second that the Parma second baseman almost made a spectacular
play on.
Kayla Holthaus allowed 8 hits and 7 runs with 3 walks, 1 hit batter
and 5 strikeouts.
Prairie had 4 hits, a double by Crea and a single each by VanderPas,
Arnzen and Wassmuth.
Friday morning’s game against New Plymouth was delayed just over an
hour by rain with tournament officials only managing to get one of the
two fields in playing shape.
Things started promisingly when Lacey Wargi struck out but reached
base on a passed ball.
After a pair of outs, Wassmuth and Tacke each walked to load the bases
but a strikeout ended the inning.
Neither team scored until the third when New Plymouth’s leadoff hitter
beat out an infield hit. After a sacrifice bunt and another infield hit,
New Plymouth got their first run when an illegal pitch was called. Prairie
was intentionally walking New Plymouth’s big hitter and Tacke was called
for leaving the catcher’s box too early. It could have been avoided if
Prairie had just told the umpire they wanted to give the walk.
New Plymouth added single runs in the fourth and fifth with both runs
scoring due to errors.
Prairie had only one other real scoring threat and that came in the
fourth when Wassmuth led off with a walk and Tacke singled to left. A pop-up,
fly ball to right and a strikeout ended the inning with no runs scored.
The game was called after the top of the sixth due to the time limit
imposed by the weather situation.
Tacke had Prairie’s only hit of the game.
Holthaus allowed just 5 hits and 3 runs with 2 walks and 1 hit batter
and 4 strikeouts.
In the fifth inning Wargi left the game with an injury. A New Plymouth
player barreled into Wargi at second base on a steal attempt. Wargi wound
up breaking a couple bones in her right hand.
The Lady Pirates ended their season with a 13-13 record.
Vs. Parma
Parma 1 1 2 3 0 0 0—7 8 0
Prairie 0 0 0 0 0 0 0—0 4 4
Vs. New Plymouth
Prairie 0 0 0 0 0 0—0 1 2
N.P. 0 0 1 1 1 x—3 5 0